A Healing Moment
by Kristen3
Summary: When Niles arrives at Frasier's to find Daphne injured, he not only offers her healing, he receives some as well. Fluffy one-shot.


Daphne went to answer the door. She knew this was part of her job, but right now, it was about the last thing she wanted to do. All she could do now was hope whoever was there wouldn't stay long. "Oh. Dr. Crane," she said when she saw her boss' brother standing there.

Niles noticed her forced smile. "Daphne, are you all right?"

A wave of embarrassment came over her. "Yes, I'm just fine." She did her best to hide her hand behind her, without him noticing.

Of course Niles saw her nervousness. "Are you sure?"

Daphne considered reiterating the lie, but she realized how childish this was. Much better to just admit it. "I was just doing the dishes, and when I went to put the silverware away, I'm afraid I had a bit of a mishap with one of the knives."

"Oh, Daphne. I hope it's nothing serious. Let me see."

Reluctantly, Daphne showed him her finger. It was only slightly bleeding.

Niles did his best not to focus on the small red line of blood. "I-I don't think it needs stitching, but I think a band-aid would probably be a good idea."

Daphne nodded. "I was just about to fetch one when the doorbell rang. Your father and your brother are out, so..."

"Dear God, if I'd known you were busy, I would have come back some other time!"

"It's all right, Dr. Crane. It's not that bad, really."

"Daphne, I'm a doctor. Let me help you."

Despite all of her embarrassment, Daphne saw that he really did care about her. It would be a lot easier to have someone else try to bandage her finger rather than doing it herself. "All right."

"Now, where are the bandages?"

"In the medicine cabinet," Daphne replied, pointing to the bathroom.

"Right," Niles said, realizing he probably should've known that. He opened the door, and he and Daphne walked in. For once, he was grateful for the odd layout of his brother's apartment, putting the bathroom so near to where they were standing. He wasted no time in locating the box of band-aids and selecting an appropriate size. He looked again at the cut. He could barely stand to see his own blood, and now he was being confronted with that of his beloved angel. "Don't worry," he whispered.

Daphne smiled. "I'm not worried. I trust you to put a simple bandage on."

Niles blushed, not wanting to admit he'd been talking to himself. "Right. Well then." He tore the band-aid out of the paper wrapping. Then he very carefully placed it on her finger, making sure the gauze pad covered the injured area. "There."

"Thank you," Daphne said. She could tell he was a bit uneasy at the sight of blood, but she was grateful he'd overcome it in order to help her. Without really planning it, she kissed his cheek. She couldn't help noticing that he turned a bit pink and stared at the floor afterwards. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable, Dr. Crane. I just wanted to thank you."

"Actually, Daphne, that's about the most affection I've had from a woman in some time."

"Oh, has Mrs. Crane been giving you trouble again?" Daphne's heart ached at the thought of his marital problems.

"Well, not at the moment. She's in Europe. Again. But her lawyers have informed me that when she gets back, she's going to officially begin the process of dissolving our marriage."

Daphne had known that Mrs. Crane didn't love her husband, but to think she'd actually announced her intention to file for divorce was terrible. The poor man was probably heartbroken, waiting for the ax to fall. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

"It's all right, Daphne. Life goes on. At least, that's what I tell my patients."

No matter how brave he seemed, Daphne knew he was hurting. "You know what always helps me when I need a bit of cheering up?"

Niles shook his head. Just being in her presence had done wonders for his mood already.

"Well, your brother would think it was a bit daft, but I usually watch one of me favorite romantic movies. I know they're nothing like real life, but that's why I like them. When me own life's not going so well, it's nice to escape, you know?"

"Of course, Daphne." He knew all too well about escaping from life. Frasier had accused him many times of doing that very thing by visiting so often. But his brother's well-meaning "advice" wasn't on his mind right now.

"If you aren't busy, perhaps we could watch one together. If you want to, I mean." She smiled nervously. She knew how sophisticated he was, and a sappy movie was probably not his idea of a good time.

"That would be wonderful," Niles replied immediately. He felt a burst of hope as he realized that the inevitable end to his marriage might actually have a silver lining. He would be free to pursue his own happy ending. And, if he was lucky, it might be even better than anything Hollywood could dream up.

**The End**


End file.
